Third person dies amid NYC Legionnaires’ outbreak, officials say - The Hill

What the report says

The Hill reported that a third person has died in connection with a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak on New York City’s Upper East Side, citing city health officials. Dr. Alister Martin, commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, said 74 cases had been identified in the cluster as of Sunday, with eight people still hospitalized Sunday night. The department had announced a second related death one day earlier, on Saturday.

According to the report, officials had not yet identified the exact source of the outbreak. Martin said emergency surveillance data had not shown “any concerning trends,” and health officials said a steady drop in new cases suggested the exposure source may already have been removed. The city urged people who live in or recently visited ZIP codes 10028, 10075 and 10128 to seek prompt medical care if they develop flu-like symptoms.

The Hill noted that investigators have focused on cooling towers used in large-building air conditioning systems, because Legionella bacteria can grow in warm, stagnant water. Building owners with positive tower tests have been directed to drain and disinfect those systems, and the Health Department plans continued inspections of towers where Legionella was detected.

Legionnaires’ disease is a serious form of pneumonia caused by inhaling water droplets containing Legionella bacteria. The report cited the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as saying the illness is treatable, though about 10 percent of patients die from complications.